I Like Bread, and I Cannot Lie!

I am thankful every day that no one in my family has a life-threatening food allergy. I know many who do, and it’s a constant fear factor in their lives, especially for mothers with children too young to make informed choices. I can’t even imagine where their minds go when the kids are out of sight.

Everywhere we look, there are articles screaming that grains are bad, dairy is bad, meat is bad, fruit with high sugar content is bad. Oh, and sugar is the devil. These are the natural things. We won’t even go near artificial anything. What about those GMOs? That’s some scary stuff, ya’ll.

As an adult who’s had some limited testing for Celiac and other food-related allergies, I’ve been told there are a few things that perhaps don’t agree with me, but for the most part won’t hurt me. I was hoping for some relief from migraines and a couple other small issues here and there. I’m sure if I went completely meat-free, dairy-free, wheat and gluten-free, sugar-free and soy-free, and only ate raw veggies and tree bark with no pesticide, drank water and breathed the purest of unpolluted air, I wouldn’t have any issues at all. Well, except gas. Raw veggies give everyone gas, right?

But the problem is: I like bread. I like meat. I like sugar, no, I love sugar. I like milk products. These things are part of what make my life happy. Going dairy-free and gluten-free didn’t solve my problems. I’ve read “Wheat Belly.” While I can’t unread it, I’m going to keep some of that information in the back of my mind.

If you have issues with foods working against you, then you absolutely should avoid them to maintain optimal health. I’m going to continue to try better balance here. Less meat, less sugar, less gluten, more veggies and whole foods, less processed and packaged foods. I’ll see how that goes. I’m lucky enough to have longevity and good health on both sides of my family. My kids aren’t overweight and we don’t eat out a lot. So, we’ll work on eating healthier for now. Abstaining from nearly all grains, dairy and meat seems extreme if we don’t have to.

I support those who avoid eating meat or animal products for animal rights or religious reasons. Anyone who lives what they believe deserves respect. It’s a choice those much stronger than I have made.

If you do have food allergies or intolerances, I’m so sorry. I know how they can affect lives. Fortunately, there are many gluten-free, dairy-free options emerging at grocery retailers. Only a few years ago, there was next to nothing.